The Art of Preparation
by mariojackson
Summary: What if the Potters and the Longbottoms were mutually prepared for the eventuality of Voldermort. how much different would Harry's and Neville's life be?
1. This is only the beginning

"Does Mr. Potter have his key", asked the creature Hagrid identified as a goblin.

"NO", came the response from the 11 year old wizard before Hagrid could offer a response.

"In that case I will escort you to the Potter Family Account Manager for the necessary testing to be done. In the interim, Griphook will escort you to Vault 713."

As Hagrid was led away young Harry was led down a series of tunnels before coming to stop before a door made of Ebony with a crest embellished on it. The bank teller knocked on the door. It didn't take a long time before they were admitted to the room behind the door. The room was very simple. It had a Large desk with chairs on either sides of it. The Goblin sitting behind the desk was positively ancient.

"'Mr. Potter' is here to prove his identity and retrieve his Vault Keys," explained the Teller.

"So, you are The missing Potter Heir child?" asked a surprisingly smooth voice with a dangerous edge. Harry was now very nervous. He responded with a nod that showed how nervous and unsure he was.

"Well, let's see how true that is," stated the elder Goblin while extracting from his desk a small ceramic bowl which displayed the same crest as that on the door.

"Come closer child," beckoned the elder Goblin with a beautiful silver dagger, "This will not hurt you if you are of the Potter bloodline." he grasped Harry's hand when he was in close proximity. With precision that indicated experience, the elder Goblin cut Harry's palm and allowed the blood to drain and collect in the ceramic bowl on the desk. Before Harry could react, the cut had been healed by the Goblin and his hand released, no pain was experienced.

The elder Goblin then began a guttural chant in a language that Harry could neither identify nor believe. The Ceramic Bowl began to glow Royal Blue, Silver and Emerald green. the glow intensified until Harry swore he was going to go blind. He tried to look away but found that he could no longer move or talk. Just when he thought this was the end of his very short life, a figure appeared in the midst of the light. It started small and continued to grow until Harry could finally identify the figure. Heading straight to him was a dragon made of Royal Blue and Silver light. As the goblin chant increased in volume and tempo, so did the size of the Dragon. Harry was now positive that this dragon was going to eat him as soon as it escaped the Bowl to which it was tethered by its tail.

The goblin chant then came to an abrupt end. This caused the dragon to pull away from the bowl and dived towards Harry. He watched with wide eyes as the colossal beast came closer and close until it entered his chest as if it were not solid. Before he could scream, a comforting warmth began to exude from his chest. The warmth made him feel like he was being given the best hug in the world. The warmth of the hug continued until there was a searing pain on his right ring finger. When he looked down he noticed a silver ring was now present on his finger and on the ring was the same dragon emblem that he had seen on the door and the bowl.

When he chanced a look on the elder goblin, he realized that he was smiling, if it could be called that because it belonged on the face of a psychopath. All too soon the warmth began to fade until it was a dull sensation that he could feel if he focused on it.

"Well, that went better than i expected. The Potter Magics didn't tear you apart, which means that you are in fact Haddricus Potter, Heir to the Ancient and Valiant House of Potter," explained the ancient goblin with a shrug, "I have been your accountant for the past 350 years, you may call me Bloodspear, Heir Potter."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Bloodspear," whispered Haddricus, and then he fainted.


	2. The Ancient House of Longbottom

"Young Master needs to bes waking up," squeaked a voice piercing through pleasant dreams. He rolled over to face the opposite direction.

"Master Neville musts bes waking snows to meet Lords Kents and his gransies on time." That final got him to roll out of his bed.

"Thank you Kavs, I'm awake now. Inform my Grandmother that I will meet her in the family dining room in in a few minutes." With his task completed and a new task issued Kavs left to do so. Neville entered his bathroom to complete him morning routine. He stared in the mirror at the young man that stared back at him. Today was the most important day of his life. All the preparation and classes with his family steward Lord David Kent, and the Switzerland International School of the Magical Arts has led to this day where he was to prove himself to the Longbottoms Family Magics.

Life had not been easy for Neville, especially in the wake of his parents being tortured into insanity. After the tragic event, his grandmother Lady Dowager Augusta Longbottom nee MacAuley was appointed as his guardian. Control of the Longbottom's vast Family estate was given to his father's god-brother Lord David Kent. His parents were then laid to rest when the healers of In St. Mongos Hospital for Magical Maladies deduced that their condition was irreversible, a year after many different specialist and treatment methods.

In the year that followed he was believed to be a squib by his family due to his lack of accidental magic. This was disputed by Lord Kent who had witnessed Neville's magic while his parents were alive. This led to him being magically scanned by the curse-breakers of Gringotts. The scan revealed that his magical core was blocked by 65%. The 35% left unblocked was just enough for him to be admitted to Hogwarts. He was however not powerful enough to be identified by international magic schools. When this blockage was removed his life changed. He was no longer ridiculed by his family for his lack of magic and Lady Longbottom finally allowed him to have play dates with other children. His favorite being his best friend, Cayden Kent. Cayden was the 7th child of Lord Kent. Lord Kent was married to a quarter Naiad (sea nymph) whose creature blood made him highly fertile.

When he was six years old, the High Chancellor of the Switzerland International School of the Magical Arts turned up at Longbottom Hall. He revealed that Neville was to attend the School of the Magical Arts. At first he and his grandmother were reluctant to accept, but Lord Kent informed them that Alice and Frank had made provision for young Neville to attend this school for the five years before he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Another deciding factor was the fact that Cayden was to attend the same school.

The School of the Magical Arts was a boarding school in Switzerland that catered for student from 6-18 years old. The initial five years had students boarding from Monday to Thursday and returning home for the weekend. This ensured that they gained some independence while not being too homesick. His first year curriculum consisted of Languages (French Latin and Greek), Magical Theory, Physical Education, Flying, Art and Muggle Affairs where they interacted with the muggle world through field trips. His second year saw the introduction of courses like Potions Theory, Herbology, Basic Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, and Italian and Russian added to his language studies. Also both he and Cayden began lessons with Lord Kent and Lady Longbottom in Etiquette, Estate Management, Politics, History and Ballroom Etiquette. Neville was doing so in preparation to become Lord of the Ancient and Gallant House of Longbottom, while Cayden was doing so in preparation to become Lord Consort to an Ancient House like his papa. The next four years saw a transformation in young Neville that none thought possible. He gained a quiet confidence and was known for his magical strength, that while not the most powerful in the class he was in the top 5 of his year group. He was a quiet person but became a beast if provoked as many bullies realized when they decided to pick on Cayden in his presence. He was training himself to be perceived worthy by the Ancient Family Magics of the House of Longbottom.

The Longbottoms were known as an Ancient house when the founders of Hogwarts decided to build Hogwarts. They were considered Ancient when the romans invaded the British Isles. They could trace their ancestry back to the Indigenous British Druids that ruled the lands before the Romans. They were also one of the nine families to hold the title of Duke in the magical world (Black, Nott, Greengrass, Ollivander, Bones, McMillian, Potter and O'Brian were the others). This title was granted by King Arthur himself for the Ancient family's aid in Merlin's war against Morgana. It was a proud heritage that Neville had to continue and build on, but he was prepared.

The 31st of July marked the first time he would encounter the Family Magics. He was now 11 years old (his birthday being the day before) and if accepted by the Family magics he would be recognized as Heir Apparent of the House of Longbottom.

He quickly showered and got dressed as it was unacceptable to be tardy. When he entered the dining room he saw that Lord Kent had already arrived.

"Well met Lord Kent and welcome again to Longbottom Hall," acknowledged Neville as according to tradition. He then turned to his grandmother, "Good morning grandmother, I hope you are well today."

"Well met Heir Longbottom and thank you for your welcome," replied Lord Kent. His grandmother gave a stiff nod in acknowledgement but her eyes shone with approval and pride.

"Lacey!" a sharp pop indicated the arrival of the elf. "Could we please have some breakfast?"

"Oh yes Masters Nevies, Lacey be right back with your breakiefast." With anther pop she was gone. When Neville took his seat at the right of the head of the table, breakfast appeared on the table accompanied by Lacey who waited patiently to be dismissed. When she was dismissed the wizards and witch clasped hands.

"We thank you Mother Magic for you provisions, so mote it be." This blessing was accompanied by a quiver of the magical core to show magic's acceptance. They then began to eat their breakfast and talk about the events that were to take place later that day.

Neville stared at the imposing white building that was located in the middle of Diagon Alley. Beside him stood Lord Kent, with a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Neville's nerves were making themselves known through his sweaty palms. With a nudge, they began to ascend the steps that led into the Bank. The bank was relatively empty and thus there was a short wait before they were seen by the teller.

"Well met Master Goblin. Heir Longbottom is here to participate in his ascension ceremony, could we please be escorted to Elder Sharpelance please," explained Lord Kent.

"Well met Lord Kent. We were just about to contact you" stated the goblin. Upon seeing the puzzled expression on Lord Kent's face he continued to explain, "Heir Potter was escorted here today by Rubeus Hagrid and underwent his ascension ceremony. As the steward of the Potter Family, we thought you would like to know that your charge has been located and his identity confirmed."

By this time Lord Kent's eyes were as wide as saucers in his surprise. He has been in an ongoing battle over the placement of the Potter Heir, with the Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore, for nearly a decade. The Chief Warlock had tried to have the Potter wills sealed after he had hidden the Potter heir, but this was stopped by The Potter solicitors led by Lord Kent. The will revealed that David was the Steward of all things Potter and was named as a potential guardian of their son in the event that his god parents were unable to take care of him. With Alice being dead along with Sirius Black who was kissed before he could be given a trial, the guardianship of Haddricus Potter now belonged to him. Dumbledore had managed to gain physical guardianship of the boy on the arguments of his safety and blood wards (that Davis believed to be a fib). When he tried to take control of the Potter Estates as Haddricus' physical guardian, he was promptly denied by the Wizengamot base on their fear of retaliation by the Potter Family Magics for their disregard of the Potter Will. David had spent the next decade rebuffing Albus' attempts to capture the Potter estates and trying to locate the Potter heir. He was surprised to see that Albus dropped the ball in allowing Harry to undergo the Heir Ascension.

He turned to Neville, "I'm sure you will be fine and you will be found worthy by your ancestors magic. I have to deal with this immediately. When you are finished ask to be escorted to the Potter Family Accountant, so that you can meet your god brother in person." They were then led off by two different goblins down two different tunnels.

With Neville

He took a deep breath before he knocked on the door bearing the Longbottom Family Crest. He was quickly admitted by the elder goblin.

"Well met Elder Sharpelance'" Neville said with a brisk voice, "I am here for my ascension ceremony."

"Well met young heir. I hope you have been briefed on the procedure, are you ready to begin," Sharpelance replied while retrieving the Longbottom Ceremonial Bowl. With a nod Neville stepped forward while extending his right hand, palm facing up. With the aid of a ceremonial silver dagger, a clean cut was made and the blood collected in the bowl. When enough was obtained the cut healed itself (a property of the dagger). Sharpelance began a guttural chant which caused the Family Magics residing in the bowl and in Neville's blood to react and produce the family Totem made of brown and leaf green coloured magic (the color of the Longbottom crest and family magics). The Longbottom's Family totem was a Dire Bear - a huge magical bear that only attacked when provoked or I the defense of its family. When the magics recognized each other the totem became visible, increasing in side until it was fully grown. The Dire Bear stared into Neville's eyes. When he tried to fidget, he found that he could not talk or move while he was being judged. After what seemed like an eternity, the bear suddenly lunged towards Neville and entered the chest. The warmth experienced by Neville was similar to when his gran gave him a proud look. The next stage occurred when Neville felt a searing pain on his right ring finger upon which the Heir Ring appeared. It was a silver band upon which the Longbottom crest was embellished. When the magic receded to the back of his mind Neville was feeling winded but immensely proud of himself.

"Congratulations Heir Apparent Longbottom, I hope our work will be as fruitful as with previous generations," said Sharpelance.

"Thank you Sharpelance. It is my wish that our coffers will grow to new heights together. I need someone to escort me to see my god brother Heir Potter, if it is not an inconvenience," replied Neville politely. Sharpelance rang a tiny bell on his desk which caused the door to open revealing a young looking goblin.

"Griphook will escort you Heir Longbottom. Until the next time we meet young Heir, merry part."

With that Neville left the office space into the tunnel, through a series of convoluted turns to meet his god brother for the first time since his parents' incapacitation.

******  
With Lord Kent

When he entered the Potter Family Account Managers office he was expecting a young man that resembled his fathers James Potter and Sirius Black with the eyes of Lily Potter nee Evans. It was not common knowledge but due to inbreeding in the black family, Sirius Black was unable to reproduce naturally and thus had passed on his genes through blood adopting the Potter Heir a day after his birth (this only made Harry Sirius' Heir, not heir to the Black Family). As a child it was blatantly obvious that he would be a perfect blend of his fathers. The child before him stretch out on a couch unconscious, was a carbon copy of James Potter but not a drop of Sirius Black was observed. He turned sharply to Bloodspear.

"Why is he unconscious Elder Bloodspear?"

"Well met Lord Kent. It seems that the Ascension Ceremony was a little more than his body could handle. It also cause a block on his magic to be broken which sent his body into shock. Our healers have treated him for this shock and he is now in a recovery sleep," covered Bloodspear.

"He seems to have a number of inconsistencies around him. He looks unhealthy and his scar seems to be fresh as though it was caused a day ago and not a decade ago. And then there is the block that was destroyed by the Ceremony," Lord Kent looked troubled, "Could you have him thoroughly examined by your healers and a curse breaker before he wakes up please."

With a nod Bloodspear rang for a messenger to call for those required. It took five minutes for the Healer and curse breaker to arrive. It took the healer a further ten minutes to diagnose Harry as malnourished and that his eyes needed to be corrected. He prescribed a month on a potion regimen consisting of Nutrient potions and a bone strengthener along with a vision correcting potion that worked over a week long period.

The curse breaker on the other hand had a bit of a challenge. He detected a powerful blood glamour which was a bit tricky but removable. He also detected a blood tethering spell that acted as a tracker (illegal) and finally, he detected two fragments in young Haddricus' scar. The fragments seemed to be in constant battle according to the curse  
breaker. He recommended that Harry be given a magical purge as soon as possible to remove the blood spells and the fragments.

"Can the purge be arranged for today please Bloodspear, I wish for my charge to be as healthy as possible before he leaves today," asked Lord Kent.

"It can be ready in thirty minutes," said Bloodspear with a nod to the curse breaker to set up the procedure.


	3. The Noble House of Kent

The Kent family was a Noble House from Scotland whose history began two hundred years before the founding of Hogwarts. The Kent Lordship was bestowed on the family by King Edward VIII, for their aid during the war against Grinderwald/Hitler. The current Lord Kent was also the second Lord of Kent, David Kent. In his youth he was a curse breaker working with Gringotts. After his father passed away in the 1961, he married a young Naiad he met in Greece and had seven children. He had 5 sons, Gage, Elias, Howard, Riot and Cayden, along with 2 daughters Paige (twin of Gage) and Eleanor. All his children were now grown except Cayden. Cayden was also the most powerful of his children magically. That is not to say that the others were weak. All his children had secured at least two masteries for themselves (Eleanor had four) and due to the recent creature blood in their family, their magical strength was immense. Cayden was the only child that had a high affinity for elemental magic and the only male that gained the bearing ability. Bearers were wizards that could bear children without the aid of potions. This made his parents over protective of him.

Growing up, Cayden only had a few friends, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. He met Neville when his father officially became steward of the Longbottom family after the death of the previous Lord and Lady Longbottom. He went to school with Neville at the Switzerland International School of the Magical Arts and learned from Lady Dowager Longbottom about being a society husband. At school Neville acted as his 'protector'. He prevented the overzealous Heirs from badgering Cayden too much in their off putting attempts to woo him. Not that Cayden needed any protection. From the age of six, he had begun training his elemental abilities with his papa until it became second nature. He was a formidable opponent when compared with others his age.

"Breathe Cayden. Deep slow breaths. Let the water flow. Don't fight it, become one with it," came the string of instructions from his Papa, Lord Consort Marcel Kent nee Rivers. When he finally sealed the laceration on the dummy with the water, he slumped in exhaustion. "You did extremely well today Cay. I am so proud of you," complimented his papa.

"I'm going over to the Rookery today to spend some time with Luna papa. She has been feeling down seeing that Neville and I will be going to school fulltime this year." Unlike Neville, Cayden had decided against going to Hogwarts in September. He decided that the School of the Magical Arts was ideal for him. Here he would be able to gain a Magical Mastery before graduation and make a career for himself without having to sell himself to a Noble House. When he expressed this to his father, he was sympathetic to his plight and arranged for both himself and Neville to become summer helpers for curse breaking expeditions. This would allow them to study under ward masters and curse breakers which would lead to an early Mastery Award and possibly future employment with Gringotts. Cayden left the training room and head to his rooms to freshen up before visiting Luna.

At Gringotts

Lord Kent followed the curse breakers through several tunnels towards the ritual room for the Magical Cleanse of his new charge Haddricus Potter. On the way there he was joined by the new Longbottom Heir Apparent.

"Where are we heading Lord Kent," questioned Neville. He had yet to see his god brother and was a bit worried. "Where is Harry?"

"We are heading to the ritual rooms to perform a magical cleanse on young Haddricus as it seems that there are some illegal spells bound to him." At this Neville's eyes widened and he increased his pace in an attempt to get to the rooms as quickly as possible.

When they finally got to the ritual room, they located an unconscious Harry laid out in a ritual circle. The circle was made up of thousands of runes and powered by crystals anchored in the ley lines running through Diagon Alley. The goblins then activated the runes and the circle began to glow. At first it just seemed to have no effect on Harry, until he began to glow a red so dark it could be mistaken for black. The colour was so dark it shadowed Harry's body, obscuring it from the others looking on. It light then shattered like a glass that had been broken by a rock, it shattered into a million pieces that were absorbed into the circle. It changes were seen immediately. His cheekbones became sharper, his hair became wavier and his lips became a little fuller. His shoulders also became a little broader but due to the lack of muscle he looked even more malnourished.

Next another blood red haze of magic was brought forth out of his skin. Instead of settling around Harry like a blanket though, it wrapped around his arms and chest like chains. There was a surge in magic from the circle that cause the links in the magic to break and the magic itself decayed and faded into the circle. The final step of the cleanse focused on the entities in his scar. The magic from the circle covered Harry's head like a towel with the area over the scar pulsating more vigorously than before. The scar the split open and two different spirits emerged seeming to battle each other for dominance. The first spitit was pearly white and the other was ink black. When Lord Kent looked closer, he recognized the face of Lily Potter locked in a fierce duel with a face he had hoped to never see again. The second face had a slim nose and red eyes that only could belong to Lord Voldemort. The magic from the ritual circle surged again and began to attack the spirit of Voldemort. In a matter of minutes the spirit of Voldemort was absorbed into the ritual circle.

Just when it seemed to be over, the magic from the ritual circle surged again to combat the spirit of Lily Potter. The battle that began was a terrifying sight to behold for the observers. As hard as Lily's spirit fought, the magic for the circle was even more powerful.

Just as the spirit was to be pulled into the circle however, there was another magical surge. The Potter Family Totem (the dragon) soared from Harry's chest and wrestled control of Lily's shade from the power of the circle. It then gently absorbed her spirit and returned to Harry's chest quietly.

Throughout this entire episode Harry did not move or react a bit. When the circle's power was disbanded, the curse breakers then began to run a scan on the Potter Heir. It was revealed that the cleanse dismantled a smaller blockage on his core that was place by his parents. When he was pronounced as cleared from external influences, Lord Kent came in and retrieved him from the circle and was escorted back to Bloodspear's office.

Feeling like a great weight was lifted from him Harry slowly opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was a dragon entering his chest and an old goblin introducing himself as Bloodspear. He slowly began to analyze his surrounding when he noticed that he was still in Bloodspear's office, but another human was currently conversing with the old goblin. He slowly sat up from where he was on the couch.

"Hi, you are finally awake. I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom. I'm also your god brother." He turned to where the soft voice was coming from. To his right was a tall blond boy, dressed rather expensively. He flushed in embarrassment when he noticed the condition of his own garb.

"It seems that Heir Potter has finally rejoined us Lord Kent," he heard Bloodspear say. He then focused on the final person in the room. He was a tall man, about 6ft2", with greying brunette hair. He was well built and wore clothing as expensive as the boy who introduced himself as Neville.

"Hello Haddricus, my name is David Kent. I was a good friend of your father. Before he died he asked me to take care of you in case he couldn't." Harry was now puzzled.

"Haddricus, is that my real name?" he asked uncertainly "sir" he quickly added before the man could feel slighted.

Lord Kent's face morphed into a blank mask in an effort to hide his anger.

"Yes child you were named Haddricus James Potter by your parents Lillian Marie Potter nee Evans and James Charlus Potter. Did Albus not tell you this?" Lord Kent asked curiously.

"who is Albus?"asked Harry confused

"what is the name of your guardian child?" questioned Lord Kent

"Aunt Petunia?" answered Harry questioningly

"Well, it seems as though Dumbledore has seen it fit to contradict the will of an Ancient House," said Bloodspear dryly, "I wonder what consequences he would face if this was brought before the Wizengamot."

"Wait a minute; I feel as if you are talking about me, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this Dumbledore and what does he have to do with me?"

Lord Kent began, "Well Haddricus you see …"

He launched into a tale of wizarding nobility and heritage. He gave a quick overview of the history of the Potters and in particular Harry's parents and grandparents. He then explained Ablus Dumbledore's role in the wizarding world and how he made it possible for Harry to stay with his maternal Aunt. He also explained how schooling was done in the wizarding world.

At the end of his long and convoluted tale Lord Kent asked, "Do you have any questions Harry?"

"How am I supposed to know all this? No one ever told me that I am basically royalty here!" he exclaimed.

"Fret not child. Lord Kent here was charged with your education by your parents. He could not execute this however due to him being unable to locate you. Blame your lack of knowledge on Albus Dumbledore," soothed Bloodspear.

"Who escorted you to Diagon Alley, Haddricus?"

At the sound of his name Harry beamed in pride. "Hagrid said … Dumbledore asked him to escort me. I guess this is not a good thing?"

"I believe Hagrid has no ill intentions towards you. He however does not have the authority or the expertise to introduce you to our world due to his lack of education." Upon seeing Harry's protesting face, he pressed forward in hopes to quell his fire, "He was expelled from Hogwarts before completing his basic wizard training and has no legal wand. This makes him an unsuitable escort. What would happen if you were to be mobbed by adoring fans? He has no way to protect you." At the end of this rant, he could see understanding showing in Harry's eyes.

"Why don't we escort him Lord Kent? As his family Steward and his god brother it is expected that we would look after him right?" Neville suggested. "I hope we can get to know each other and be as close as real brothers Harry," finished Neville shyly. At his last statement, Harry's face broke into a great smile.

It took very little time for them to make a decision. Harry would delay his Hogwarts purchase today in favor of taking introductory courses at the School of Magical Arts for the rest of the summer. It was also decided that wardrobe would be obtained after his potion regimen was complete. He also opted to have his physical guardianship be transferred to Lord Kent based on the fact that he is yet to meet the elusive Albus Dumbledore. His glasses were then charmed by the Healers of Gringotts to change with his improving sight.

When he returned to the lobby, a sick looking Hagrid sat waiting on him. Upon seeing Lord Kent his face twisted in incomprehension. Lord Kent explained to him that he was now Harry's guardian based on his parents will and that Harry had no further need of his service but he was grateful for his friendship. All this time Harry stood silent behind Lord Kent.

As Hagrid walked away, still slightly confused, Harry let out a sigh in relief that there was no great confrontation.

"Let us go to the pet store to get you a pet Harry. What do you say? Birthday present?" asked Lord Kent. With wide eyes, harry nodded with muted excitement. The party of three left the hall of the bank and travelled down Diagon Alley. They then turned on another Alley named Vertical Alley. The first pet store they encountered was called Artimis Glade. A disconcerting pull guided harry into the stor and led him down the isle to the snake tanks. The creature he saw there was small and yellow in colour.

"Ahhhh, this animal is known as a Storm Herald. They act as familiars to Wind Elementals. Tell me child do you feel drawn to it," an inquisitive voice interrupted Harry's thoughts. When Harry nodded, Lord Kent stepped forward,

"How much is it?"

"For the young elemental, 50 galleons."

"Here is 60G. I hope this visit had never happened," stated the older man to the proprietor.

"Of course my Lord, is there any other way I can help you?"

They made their way down Diagon Alley back to the Leakey Cauldron. As they walked Lord Kent explained the Floo System and how it works.

"It will take practice to do it gracefully so don't be embarrassed. Remember to speak clearly and decisively."

Standing before the fire place, he watched as Neville used the system. Harry's main thoughts were in his new familiar that was wrapped around his forearm and how his life has and will change. He accepted the floo powder from Lord Kent and stepped into the fireplace. He followed Lord Kent's instruction.

"Kent Family Manor," he called out. The sensation that followed was both exhilarating and nauseating in equal measure.


	4. A crash course? in wizardry

A Crash Course in Wizardry

It has been three weeks since Harry was taken to Kent Manor. It has been three weeks since he began remedial summer lessons via the Switzerland International School of Magic. Well, it would have been three days if he were in a normal situation. According to Lord Kent, his circumstance required a greater amount of time to reverse in comparison to the time that they had to correct it. Through consultation with the High Chancellor, Harry was set up in a guest house on the grounds of the Kent Estate. The guest house was then placed under a time warp. The High Chancellor attempted to explain it to harry but it passed right over his head.

He was then introduced to Sage Makliar (Mac-lee-are), an old magical scholar who had mastered so many areas of magic that he was no longer recognized as a mere Master. Their main goal was to condense four years of education into the four weeks before Hogwarts. He also had frequent lessons in estate management, history of the Potters, Etiquette, Politics and Ballroom Etiquette with both Lady Longbottom and Lord Kent. Neville was usually included in these lessons even though he was so much more advanced than Harry. During these sessions with Neville, they were given topics to research in totality and then debate on; whether they agree or disagree with the angle they were given. Lord Kent explained that it will allow them to anticipate and demolish the opinions of the political adversaries.

With Sage Makliar, he learned the theory of different branches of magic, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Potions, Herbology, History (Magical and Mundane), Magical Theory, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Italian, and wandless magic. He was yet to receive a wand but he wasn't bummed out by that seeing as Neville did not have one either. At first it was hard for him to remember that he was expected to do his best, but with several meeting with a mind healer, he discarded the ideals of the Dursleys. That is not to say that it was all work, he spent many afternoons (within the time flux) flying with Neville of playing various wizarding games.

During this time also he had been countering the damage done to his body due to malnutrition and neglect. It took three months in the time flux to counter the physical deficiencies of his childhood. It took one year to change his outlook on life with the aid of his mind healer. When he was given a clean bill of health, both Harry and Neville approached Lord Kent for fencing lessons. This idea was introduced to them by Sage Makliar, who indulged them with stories from his day as a duelist. These lessons were approved of and a tutor was hired by the name of Master Steelfist, a Master goblin warrior. With these lessons, Harry was introduced to Cayden Kent.

At first Harry was reluctant to interact with Cayden, but as the months passed, they also developed strong bonds of friendship. When he found out that Cayden would not be attending Hogwarts, he was very depressed. It wasn't until Cayden promised that they will remain friends forever that Harry could begin to function normally again.

Dancing was one of the lessons that Harry dreaded at first but grew to like. He often felt uncoordinated and cumbersome when he was in practice with Lady Longbottom, who used stinging hexes quite liberally for missteps. These made good motivation for Harry to become an excellent dancer with grace aplenty. He eventually grew to like it in his second year under the flux.

Another pastime that harry enjoyed was hearing stories of his father's childhood. Lord Kent and Lady Longbottom had many tales about James Potter that made harry feel as though his father was in fact a real person and not an abstract idea. He also found journals from both his parents and paternal grandparents in his trust vault, and had read them several times. These gave an insight into the kind of persons he was descended from.

After three weeks in the time flux, Harry sat his final exams for year four of the School of Magical Arts. He passed all his subjects with Outstandings, and was place 6th in his year group (Cayden being 4th and Neville being 7th). Feeling accomplished and with new purpose, Harry left the time flux with one week to go before Hogwarts began on September 1. The only thing left to be done was to acquire his school supplies. To do so they will be going to Switzerland. Harry was excited because this would mark his first trip out of the British Isles.

"Harry I would like to speak with you and Neville in my study please before we leave."

"Yes Uncle David, I will go and get him from the greenhouse"

When he and Neville arrived at the study they knocked and waited to be admitted to the study.

"Sit boys. As you know, the level of education at Hogwarts has fallen far below International standards. This is why I will not allow Cayden to attend that school. Both of you on the other hand are required to attend Hogwarts based on you family edicts on Lordship ascension. This leaves us with a problem." He paused to see if they were following his thoughts, "This led me to talk with High Chancellor Griffiths, who informed me of the Independent studies program that the School of Magical Arts offers. They provide their students with a syllabus for their year group and the independent student study at their own pace for that year and in the first week of summer they are assessed by the school. This will make them eligible to pursue masteries under the school's identity. It will also allow you to get a quality education while still being eligible for your Duchy. What are your thoughts on this, boys?"

Both boys were in deep thought, reasoning with themselves over the pros and cons of this system.

"I will do it," resolved Harry verbally, while Neville agreed with a nod.

"Well you are also required to turn in papers and thesis for the courses that you study. Are you sure you can handle it.

"We are going to try Uncle. Better to fail trying, than not to try at all right?" Lord David looked on with a proud smile.

"In that case, I have signed both of you up for a curse breaking expedition as helpers for next summer. This will help you to practically apply your studies in a controlled but realistic environment. Cayden will also be accompanying you. If all goes well, it can be an annual event."

At the words 'curse breaking expedition', both Neville and Harry looked like they had gone to heaven. It was with a look of awe that they walked to the receiving parlor to portkey to Switzerland. As a noble Lord, David was authorized to enchant portkeys within his estates. With a tap to the rope and a whispered ' **portus** ', he enchanted a rope to take them to and from Switzerland.

"Ahhh, there you are Cayden, we are just about to leave. If you would all hold on to the rope we can depart."

A surge of magic was felt as the hooking sensation took hold of the passengers and pulled them to their destination.

They landed in the middle of a large shopping district.

"Welcome to _Patronos Delectare_. Most people here speak English or Latin, so you boys should not have any problem shopping. Let us begin."

What happened next could only be described as chaos. When they got to the clothier, Harry's entire wardrobe was replaced and charmed to be wearable until he hit 5ft10", which was a few years away. The exorbitant number of casual wear, formal wear, both wizarding and muggle he was forced into and bought, was slightly overwhelming for a boy that was raised with nothing. He however remembered that he was now a representative of his ancestor's impeccable history and a beacon of the Potter Family to come. He swallowed whatever protests and allowed Cayden and David to talk over him to the clothier.

Next they visited the Apothecary, where an intermediate potions set was purchased for each of the boys. This was followed by the stationary store. Here they purchased high end quills and calligraphy pens. They also purchased regular cheap quills and maintenance sets for their quills. The got reams of parchment and several note book to which pages of parchment could be added (for their schooling at the School of Magical Arts). They had their books keyed to their individual magical signatures. When they left that store, they were being weighed down by numerous shrunken purchases, so they decided to visit the Luggage Depot. Inside they went immediately to the trunks. After a lot of arguments of the merits of each trunk they decided a 5 compartment was the most suitable for their school needs. The compartments included one for clothing, potions/herbology, class material (telescope, brooms), books and stationary and a secret compartment. The entire trunk required 7 drops of blood to activate the blood wards and to power the enchantments (feather-weight, shrinking, gliding).

The book store included purchases for both schools using their acceptance letters. For Cayden it was one set of books. Neville and Harry on the other hand had to purchase two sets of course books. After that was taken care of, they focused on reference book not on their letters, as recommended by the helpers in the store and Lord Kent. They also chose books based on extra-curricular interest, such as 'Dueling Strategy and Tells by Filius Flitwick' and 'A Beginners Guide to Alchemy by Perenelle Flamel'.

Their final two stops were the most interesting of the trip. The first was a Pet Shop, where Harry purchased a perch for Gladius, his Storm Caller Dragon. Here two things happened. The first was that two eggs hatched as Neville and Cayden walked past the exotic creature's aisles. The first revealed a beautiful ice blue Dragon and the next a Forrest green and brown dragon. They immediately tried to get to Cayden and Neville respectively but were hindered by an enchantment. The owner came and undid the enchantment allowing the teens to get to the newly hatched dragons.

"Young elementals, not a rare sight but much welcomed none-the-less," said the proprietor. Two exclamations were heard. When he turned around he realized that the dragons had bitten their partners to formalize their bond. Harry chuckled when he remembered when this had happened to him. He turned to the shop owner to listen to what he was explaining.

"These are Familiar Dragons. They only hatch when they sense their owner's magic in their area. The blue one is a water/ice dragon and the green and brown one is an earth/forest dragon. The one I sense bonded with you is a wind/storm dragon," he said to Harry, "they are companions for life and grow with your magical core. I have a book in how to care for them if you would like."

With an affirmative gesture they bought what was necessary for their familiars along with a vicious looking eagle owl to carry massages between them from Hogwarts to Switzerland. They then left the store and headed to the Wand Crafter's store.

Lord Kent explained to them that while Olivander's wands are good tools, they are very limiting. In Switzerland, and other areas of the magical world, the foci were made to fit the preexisting strengths of the individual. In England, the foci forced an individual to adapt a false affinity to certain magics. With that in mind, the boys were excited as they entered the store.

"Well, hello there boys how may I help you"

"We are her for wands, kind sir, one crafted and one for school purposes," interruoted Lord Kent before the boys could say anything.

"Well let's get started, crafted wands first and the school wands."

The boys were escorted to a storage room, blindfolded and one at a time, instructed to allow their magic to lead them. Harry was lead to a sack of what seemed to be stones; he searched through the sack until one of the stones shocked his magic. He took it out and moved to the next area that called to him. Next, he collected two slabs of wood (equally reactive), a cold metallic substance. He was then led to the core area and let loose. He found three cases that resonated with his magic perfectly. He carried the boxes to the table he was instructed to place his finds with the aid of the shop owner. He was escorted to the waiting area to … wait. Cayden and Neville, like harry found a 'stone', two slabs of wood, a metallic feeling substance and three cores.

When they were all returned to the waiting area the proprietor told them that he will put his work area under a time flux so that their wands will be completed in five minutes. After that they would look for school/secondary wands.

To the boys it was the longest five minutes ever.

When the wand crafter returned, he wore a wide smile and carried three carved boxes.

"First, Mr. Black hair, green eyes." Harry stepped forward. "This is a powerful wand indeed. Suited for offensive and defensive magics and area effective spells, like wards. It is made out of a mixture of Ironwood and Elderberry from a mountain top in China. It was embellished with air currents using a piece of methryl mined by Dwarves. At the end of the handle is a clear cut diamond my grandfather found in a temple dedicated to Aeolus in Greece, perfect for a wind elemental. The cores were hard to work with but complimented each other just perfectly. The first is the tail feather from a thunder bird (aka a wind phoenix), along with the hair of a Thestral from Rome, both of these were soaked in the venom of Quetzalcoatl, a winged serpent for your parcel abilities. Use it well." Harry took the box and opened it reverently to reveal a masterpiece 12½ inches long. He took hold of it and felt a gust of air enter and exit his body leaving him refreshed.

"Next Mr. sun bleached Blond and Hazel eyes." Neville stepped forward as Harry stepped back. "This wand what made from a blend of Oak and Elderberry from the fertile plains of India. It is also suited for Offensive and Defensive magics but also flashy, impressive spells, as in the patronus charm. It is embellished with vines using imperial gold blessed in the waters of the goddess Demeter. At the end of the handle is a Garnet, one of the earthiest gems, perfect for an earth elemental. The cores again are suitable I believe. First, there is the heartstring of a Griffin that took 17 wizards to incapacitate it. This is followed by the venom extracted from the sting of a Manticore that killed 15 wizards before the others killed it. Finally there is the hair of a Greek Dryad freely given for saving her tree, very powerful magic indeed. Use it well." Neville, like Harry took the 13 inch wand from the box he was given. The feeling that flooded him reminded him of how he felt after a long day of working in his garden or greenhouse.

"Last but not least, the Brunette with the ice-blue eyes." Cayden rolled his eyes at his 'title' and stepped forward to mirror Neville, who realized that it was time to step back. "12 inches of Ebony and Elderberry found in the tundra of Antarctica. Odd place for a tree to thrive, right? But thrive it did, making it perfect for a water/ice elemental. The embellishment was done to mirror water currents and the gem was a sapphire taken from a temple dedicated to Poseidon by mayself. The cores again made a special wand. The first is a scale taken from a hippocampus from Italy, powerful water horse, freely given of course. Next is the tears of a Siren who had lost her lover, make it potent in magic requiring emotions and offensive magics. Finally, and surprisingly, is a Thestral hair from the mate of the same Threstral that gave the hair for the young man's wand behind you." With this proclamation both Harry and Cayden bloomed a bright red colour in their cheeks. "This wand is made for precision in magic and is also powerful." When Cayden removed the wand he felt the current of the seas flowing through him, filling him with power.

"Is Elderberry a normal wood used in wand crafting. I've never met someone with that wand wood?" asked Lord Kent

"As you have not noticed Elderberry is a common wood for elementals because it can handle the vast amount of magic they possess. So while it is not a usual wood used in wand crafting, it was not unusual."

"Thank you. What about the school wands."

"I can do that now." He removed three measuring tapes from a drawer and set them to measure the boy while he asked the questions. It did not take long for them to be fitted with wands. Harry got one made from 12½ inches of Mahogany and a Griffin Flight feather. Neville got one made from 13 inches of Cherry and Bowtruckle innards. And finally, Cayden got one made from 12 inches of Hornbeam and the flight feather of an Abraxan. They also purchased two wand holsters per person and thanked the wand crafter. They left the store 300G lighter.

Before heading home, Lord Kent took them out to dinner at the Open Cuisine, a restaurant that served dishes from all over the world. The boys began to compare both their wands during dinner which Lord Kent found amusing.

By the time they returned to Kent Manor, all three boys were dead on their feet. He took all of them and placed them on Cayden's bed and head to bed himself. It was, after all, a long day.


	5. The woes of Albus Dumbledore

The woes of Albus Dumbledore

July of 1991 started out as a pretty normal one. His plans were all in place and he was feeling proud of what he had managed to accomplish over the last ten years. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, a name of power. It conjured fear in the hearts of his enemies and peace in the hearts of his favored.

He always had a plan. After almost 150 years on the earth, he had learned to trust only himself. If he shared his plans and ideas with others, they may steal it and gained recognition for it. That just wouldn't do. This meant that he kept his own counsel. He however believed that all major decisions should be passed by him, and if he was against it, then it should be vetoed. He was a man of many contradictions. But that could not be helped, he was human after all.

His plans for young Harry started with a prophecy. After it was told to him, he decided that all the candidates should be under his control so that he could guide them into their destiny and share in their glory. He therefore, bound both candidates' magics during their blessing. He convinced Alice and Lily that his seniority made him the perfect candidate to conduct the blessings. He also convinced them that he found a ritual that could heighten the children's chances of survival if they encountered Voldemort. The blessings went as planned and both boys had their magical cores bound. It was too easy to.

The first disruption in his plan was after the death of Lily and James. He had hurried to the ministry to prevent their will from being read. He tried to use his non-existing power as Chief Warlock to seal their wills until Harry was of age. Not that that would ever happen. He had discovered on the night of his parents' death that young Harry carried with him a fragment of Voldemort's soul in his scar. Instead of exorcising it, he healed the scar trapping it in the boy and began making plans for his death. With Harry's death he would cease the Potter's vast fortune for himself. In the meantime he could use the vaults as Harry's magical guardian.

This came to a crashing stand still, when David Kent revealed himself as the Potter Estate Steward. David vetoed his actions on the wills and hand him fined 4000G for his tampering of a Nobel's Will. He also tried to gain control of the Potter's Heir, but was stymied by the Wizengamot who placed the safety of the Boy-who-lived in the hands of the most powerful Sorcerer in England. They however could not make Albus the boy's magical guardian due to fear of retaliation from the infamous Potter Family Magics. This meant that Albus could not access the boy's Trust Vault without him being there, even if he had the boy's vault key.

David Kent, from that time forward, became a pain in Albus' ass. He took control of the Potter's and Black's Wizengamot seat after the death of the Black Heir, Sirius Black. He then became the de facto leader of the Magically Ambiguous members (grey) in the Wizengamot, and stopped many of Albus' proposals (through one of his lackeys), from becoming law. He also fought for werewolf equality with great success. He set up many sanctuaries for werewolves to live without fear of discrimination. He used his power as the Potter and Black Steward, to open up Pottermore Castle and turned it into a learning institution for persons with parents, who are Magical beings (vampyres, werewolves, vela, half giants etc). The biggest losses for Albus were the resignation of Filius Flitwick from Hogwarts to become Headmaster of Avalon School for Magical Beings, and Remus Lupin becoming his Deputy at the same school.

Through these actions, there was a sharp decrease in werewolf attacks which appeased the ministry, and Frenir Greyback turned up dead one day after a full moon in 1985. Try as he might Albus could not gain footing in this new school or its staff. The most he could do was prevent Hagrid from attending by confiscating his acceptance letters.

He tried to meet with Lord Kent on several occasion to try and impress upon him that it was for the greater good that the Potter and Black seat be given to him to manage, as he was more knowledgeable and virtuous than Lord Kent was. Another reason was that as Chief Warlock, he had no voting rights, and seeing that the Dumbledore Family was neither Ancient nor Noble, he could only impress his wishes on his followers in the Wizengamot. If he acquired those seats though, he would be able to be the High and mighty Chief warlock and have a literal say in the politics. All on Harry's behalf of course.

In the last decade, he spent his time fine tuning his plan. As Harry's childhood left him desperate for approval, Albus would offer that approval and become the boy's primary source of guidance. This guidance would lead Harry to his death, but only after he will all his earthly possessions to his poor old mentor, Albus. To guide Harry to his feet, Albus sent the always loyal Hagrid to retrieve him from his relatives and take him to Diagon Alley. This had a two-fold benefit. First it meant that Harry's first interaction with a kind person would be with someone who worshipped Albus. The second benefit was that due to his isolation from the rest of the Wizarding World, Hagrid often forgot that not everyone knows everything about this world. He would then neglect to inform Harry about his station and family history while ensuring Harry adopted some of his prejudices.

This came back to him void. He had forgotten how manipulative goblins could be. When Hagrid reported back to him before he was expected back, he inquired about how it went. He was then informed of what took place at the bank. And even worse, Harry was left in the care of Lord Kent. Albus knew that David would not leave Harry ignorant of his duties. He later received a letter for the Department of Children Welfare, that Harry's physical guardian was changed to Lord David Kent, and that he was being fined 10,000G for the physical neglect of the Potter Heir.

This led to his second disruption. He woke up on the second of August to Hagrid informing him of his resignation as Groundskeeper and Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. In front of the entire staff at breakfast! When Professor McGonagall inquired why this sudden change, he told them he was going to be re-educated at Avalon School, until he achieved a Mastery or two in Magizoology. He then proceeded to ask Albus if when he was through he could teach at Hogwarts. All he could do was say 'Yes' with a smiling face, with no intention to follow through. He asked Hagrid to visit him before he left.

When Hagrid left his office, Dumbledore felt confident that he would now have a person inside that school to report all the illegal studies taking place. He then took out on of Hagrids past acceptance letter to read it. What he saw left him beyond nervous and troubled:

Avalon School for Magical Beings

Pottermore Castle

Isle of Potter

Headmaster: Sage Filius Flitwick, Grand Warlock, Master of Transfiguration, Ward crafting, Charms, Ancient Magic and Duelling

Dear Mr. Rubeus Hagrid,

You are being invited to join us at Avalon School of Magical Beings to be re-educating in the ways of Magic. Please note that upon your acceptance and admittance to our school, you are require to submit to a full magical medical to ensure that your potential is not hindered or your health is not at risk.

We await your response.

Respectfully,

Sage Remus Lupin, Arch Sorcerer

Master of Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Defensive Magic, Spell creafting and Enchanting

Please note that your basic (up to NEWT) education will be done under a timed flux due to your advanced age. Mastery/Masteries will be done during the regular school term.

The pages that follow showed the recipient where to receive their supplies which were already paid for by the school's Trust. This included custom made item from the most affluent of merchandizers. The entire experience left Dumbledore stumped. All the charms he had taken the last hour and a half, discreetly applying was for naught.

He sat back with a sigh wondering just what else could go wrong.

Moduline Weasley nee Prewitt was a dream socialite. When she had married Arthur Weasley, he had been Heir to the Ancient and Loyal House of Weasley, and his father was almost dead. She had dreams of becoming Lady Weasley and having a vast fortune at her disposal, to rub in the face of all those who sneered at her because of the Prewitt's fall from grace.

What she did not expect was for Lord Spetimus Weasley to make a surprise recovery. He then proceeded to object to the union of his heir to a destitute witch. The Prewitts, though a pureblood House was left penniless after they tried to extort monies from a joint venture with the House of Greengrass. This marriage was an opportunity for her to become the Pureblood Lady her mother was not. Spetimus on the other hand had other plans. When he realized that Arthur was serious about Moduline (Molly), he used Arthur's trust fund to buy out of his Marriage contract with the House of Lovegood, and cut him off from the Family coffers. He then insisted that he could choose four children to be raised by himself and his wife Lucretia Weasley nee Black. When Molly protested, he threatened to fully disown Arthur and call for restitution from the House of Prewitt for the loss of his Heir. She finally conceded to his wishes.

When her first born William Weasley was found to have the family gift of seeing magic, he was taken by Septimus at age 5 to be raised as the Weasley Heir. The same happened with her second child Charles Septimus Weasley. He was taken to be raised as the Prewitt Heir. The next child was not chosen, despite Percival being above average in mind and magical power. The twins, Fredrick Gideon and George Fabian, were taken by Lord Weasley as they both had the family gift and were both sorcerer level in power like their older brothers. Her final two children Ronald Bilius and Ginerva Molly we above average in power with Ginny being the most powerful of the remaining three children. She knew Septimus was disappointed that he did not acquire the first female Weasley in 8 centuries.

Molly then decided that her remaining children will be raised as she saw fit. Arthur did not have the heart to dispute this seeing as four of her seven children were no longer in their custody because of his lack of control.

When Molly tried to cease the Prewitt's remaining assets, the foul goblins told her that they were already claimed in the Name of Charles Septimus Prewitt. Molly was fuming mad. All her dreams were crushed and there was nothing she could do about it. The only plus side to this was that with the loss of custody for 4 of her children meant that Arthur's salary as a Senior Auror allowed them some freedom.

She was glad that she talked Arthur out of resigning as an Auror after the war ended. She quickly began to manipulate him to live up to her expectation in the Ministry. When he finally peaked, he became one of the most experienced Auror and Head of the Training School.

Her lost children were by this time foreign to her. The oldest William went to Hogwarts and became Headboy and was now studying with goblins as a curse breaker and wardsmith according to her regular updates from Lucretia. Charles had just graduated and was to begin training as Magizoologist with emphasis in Dragonology. She also knew that they both had Masteries in History according to the Weasley Edicts (and the revised Prewitt Edicts), Healing (Charles), and Runic Casting (William), from the Switzerland International School of the Magical Arts. The twins were to begin their third year at Hogwarts (and she guessed the foreign school also) and were at the top of their classes. Molly guessed she could be proud, but not until her goal was achieved. She wanted the vast wealth of a Pureblood house and the prestige that accompanies it.

When Albus Dumbledore asked her to meet with him at Hogwarts (in1985), her curiosity was picked. She remember the Magical and Political powerhouse as one of those her brothers emulated and that he was someone who should be given absolute respect for all he has done for Wizarding England. When he told her about the Potter Heir being an orphan with no knowledge of the wizarding world, and that when it was time he needed to be reintroduced into the right circles, she was intrigued. She began to plan with Albus on how he should be groomed. When she realized that Albus had plans for the boy to die, she figured that the boy's fortune would be up for grabs. The person, who would succeed, was the one with the greatest claim. From that point forward, she began to groom her remaining children to be the best companions for young Harry. Percival would be the big brother and confident steering him away from areas of the wizarding world that would be detrimental to their plan with talks of dark and dangerous magics. Ronald would be his best friend and secret holder. Being in this position would allow him to be propelled into the heights of wizarding society through association. And her ace in the hole was Ginny. She knew that her little girl would gain the Weasley women fabled beauty in its entirety and planned on her becoming Lady Potter. Even if she bore him no heirs, the position alone would be enough for her to secure the Potter fortune for her mother. All these plans were made without the go ahead of either Albus or Arthur and were categorized as 'family' secrets according to Molly.

Dumbledore decided that there was need to regroup and doctor his plans to fit the new situation. The stone he was trying to pass off as the Philosophers Stone was now obsolete due to Harry's lack of knowledge of what happened in Gringotts. He got on his knees before the fireplace and tossed ina bit of floo powder before sticking his head in.

"Molly, are you there."

"Oh hello Albus, I was not expecting you. Is there a particular reason you called?" Molly answered.

"Step through into my office where we can speak privately."

When they had settled around his desk, Albus began to inform molly of the disruptions in their plans. The scowl that appeared on her face was slightly concerning and off-putting. He then began to outline his new plan to her while Molly formulated anew plan in her head.

With Hagrid

When his portkey activated, it took him all the way to Sweden to acquire his schooling material. It took him the better part of six hours to gather everything for 9 years' worth of schooling under a timed flux. There were materials that he was curious about and those he wanted to protest about getting. He read his list and was surprised to find Dark Arts as one of the courses required for graduation. He almost rejected the offer, but the thought of finally owning a wand again caused him to give it a try.

At the end of the day, the final stop was the wand crafters shop. It took a further 30 minutes for him to receive his wand. The crafter described it to him with relish. It was 17 inches in length, made from a mixture of Vine and Pine woods. For the core he had two. One from an Ancient Hungarian Horntail soaked in the blood of a Hippogriff from Africa. It was a wand that was attuned to dealing with magical creatures whether it was combating wild untamable creatures or healing hurt creatures. It was ideal for Hagrid.

The next time he used the portkey, it took him to Pottermore Castle. It was a sight to behold. There were tall towers and battlements, white ivory walls that seemed impenetrable, and many, many students milling around. He met with Remus and was escorted to his room for the rest of his basic training. The room was pretty basic. There was a large bed, a large desk and a large bookcase to hold all his books. There was no shower however due to a communal system being used. The room however was outfitted perfectly for him. Hagrid decided to tour the castle. On his walk he realized that all the students were half humans and intelligent magical beings. He saw goblins (1/2 goblins too), werewolves, vampyres, incubus, veela, ½ merpeople, sirens, ½ giants and many more. The next two hours were spent talking to schoolmates and finding out they were all above school age and were playing 'catch-up'. He realized also, that there were no resentments between the different species. When it was finally time for dinner and the official opening of the program, he had yet to see half of the castle.

The next nine years were both torturous and liberating for Hagrid. He made many friends and did a lot of school and changed drastically. Most of his prejudices had been debated and let go. His use of language and the number of them he knew increased dramatically with him learning French, Gobbledegook, Latin, Greek, and elfin. His English was refined to perfection (even his accent disappeared). He had completed his International Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations (OWLs) in Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms, Transfiguration, Defensive and Offensive magics, Dark Arts, Healing, Magical Creatures and their Care, History, Herbology, Potions and Muggle Affairs. He also completed his Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (NEWTs) in Ancient Runes, Charms, Transfiguration, Defensive and Offensive magics, Healing, Magical Creatures and their Care, Herbology, Potions, Ancient Magics and Ward Crafting and Breaking.

His career options had opened up a great deal. He however decided to use the last two years of his education to conduct research and complete Masteries in three areas. His goals were Magizoology (Dragonology), Education and Teaching and finally Defensive Magics.

Over the seven years Hagrid had decided to carry himself with an attitude of respect. He had trimmed his hair and groomed his beard. He also began to train as a duelist in order to gain Mastery in that area. He had turned his bulk into pure muscles that aided him in dealing with the magical creatures he loved.

Now, at the end of his basic training and the summer, he was looking forward to being a Teaching Assistant for the next two years before returning to Hogwarts. He had decided to forgive Dumbledore for almost having him expelled for the large amounts of spying spells detected by the scans. Not because he worshipped Dumbledore (not after all the debates he had been in that opened his eyes), but because he wanted to move forward in his life. Now that his record was expunged with the aid of Lord Kent, he could live up to his dead father's expectation and claim what was left of the Hagrid Estate.

The summer was almost over and he was hoping to hear from Hagrid even though he was no longer enchanted. When he received word from Gringotts that the Hagrid Estate was turned over to the Heir Rubeus, he was disappointed. He had hoped that Hagrid would talk to him before such a major step.

He put all that behind him and focused on the upcoming school year. He had plans to make Harry into the perfect hero and martyr for the greater good and Albus Dumbledore would not be denied.


End file.
